Envelope-opener



(No Model.)

w. 1); ROGERS & J. 1). VAN BUREN. ENVELOPE OPENER.

No. 478,889. Patented July 12, 1892.

UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

-WILLIAM D. ROGERS, OF ALAMEDA, AND JAY D. VAN BUREN, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

ENVELOPE-OPENER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 478,889, dated July 12, 1892. Application filed December 11, 1891- Serial No. 414,742. (No model.)

.To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, WILLIAM D. ROGERS, residing at Alameda, Alameda county, and JAY D. VAN BUREN, residing in the city and county of San Francisco, State of California, citizens of the United States, have invented an Improvement in Envelope-Openers; and We hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

Our invention relates to a device for opening envelopes.

It consists of a triangular or trapezoidal card placed in the envelope and having a small cord attached to its upper acute angle projecting through the side of the envelope, so that it may be pulled. The edge of the card then acts like a paper-knife to cut the end of the envelope smoothly, and the card itself serves to carry printed or advertising matter of any description.

Referring to the accompanying drawings for a more complete explanation of our invention, Figure 1 is a view of the envelope, showing the cord projecting. Fig. 2 shows the envelope partially open and the card projecting.

A is an envelope of any ordinary construction, and Bis a card made triangular or trapezoidal in form, having a right angle at thelower corner and an acute angle at the upper one, which is near the upper corner of the envelope. To this angle or along the upper side of the card is fixed alight tape or small stout thread 0, which projects out through the upper angle of the envelope beneath the closing-flap. When the envelope is sealed up,

the end of this thread can be pulled by the party desiring to open the envelope, when the card will be tilted inside the envelope, so as to turn about the lower right angle as-a fulcrum, the upper edge being drawn out through the side of the envelope, thus acting likea paperknife to cut the end of the envelope open and allow its contents to be Withdrawn. The surface of the card serves to receive printed matter of any description. Itis especially available for advertising purposes, the advertisement being printed in any attractive form upon the card, so as to attract the attention of any person opening the envelope.

Having thus described our invention, What we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

A device for opening envelopes, consisting of a card made narrower at one end than the other and placed within the envelope with the broadest end in contact with the end of the envelope and a tape or thread attached to the upper acute angle of the card, projecting through the corresponding corner of the envelope, whereby the edge of the card acts as a paper-knife to cutopen the end of the envelope when the thread is pulled, substantially as herein described.

In witness whereof we have hereunto set our hands.

XVILLIAM D. ROGERS. JAY D. VAN BUREN. Witnesses:

S. H. NOURSE, H. F. ASCHEOK. 

